Carbonator.



P. M. THOMAS.

GARBONATOR.

AIPLIOATION FILED MAY 20, 1910.

Patented June 25, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINOTON, D. c.

P. M. THOMAS.

GARBONATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1910.

Patented June 25, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A 770/?NE Y COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH cuuwAsnmo'roN. D. c.

SATES PATEN ()FICE.

FRANK M. THOMAS, OF TROY, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 -JOI-IN LIDDLE, LOUIS HAUSSLER, Gr. FRANK.RISI1\TG, AND W. I. SHAW, ALL OF HOOSICK FALLS, NEW YORK.

CARBONATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1912.

Application filed May 20, 1910. Serial No. 562,390.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Troy, Rensselaer county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbonators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for carbonating water and other liquids. Its object to provide simple and eflicient means to this end, including means for automatically admitting the liquid, hereafter spoken of as water, to the carbonating chamber, means for breaking up the water into small drops or spray that it may more readily absorb the gas, and certain parts and devices, which will be hereafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of my device; Fig. 2, a partial vertical section thereof; Fig. 3, an elevation of the valve operating device; Fig. 4, a view like that of Fig. 3, showing a modification; Fig. 5, a plan view of the disks of Figs. 3 and 4; and Fig. 6, an enlarged section of the valve and connected parts.

Omitting for the present Fig. 4 of the drawings, 11 designates the body or chamber of my device, supported on a frustoconical base 12 and having a top 13. The base 12 has a bottom flange 14, by which it may be secured to a bar, counter or other,

support, and has three lateral openings, one of which is shown at 15, Fig. 1, for purposes hereafter described. At the top of the body 11 is an outturned flange 16, pierced for bolts 17 by which the top 13-is held in place. The top 13 has an annular depending flange 18, which acts to prevent the nuts 19 from turning when the bolts 17 are screwed home. A gage glass 20 is attached to the chamber 11 to show the height of the water therein. In the top 13 is a pressure gage 21, a hand relief valve 22 and an automatic relief valve 23, all of well known construction. Within the base 12 is a valve 24, the stem 25 of which projects out through the opening 15 in the base, which valve is adapted to be connected to atube or container of carbon dioXid not shown. A tube 26 leads from the valve 24 up through the bottom of the chamber 11 and forms a flat coil 27 thereon, the upper side of the coil being pierced with many small holes for the escape of the gas. An elbow 28 within the base 12 adapted for connection with a supply of water under pressure is attached to a pipe 29, which leads out through a second opening in the base to a hand cut-off valve 30, from which a plpe 31 leads upward to a reducing coupllng 32, engaging with a pipe 33, which leads laterally into a head 34. The head 34, into the top of which is screwed a pressure -gage 35, is held in place by a collar-nut 36,

which engages with a second nut'37 screwed on to a tubular member 38, which passes centrally through the top 13. It is of course understood that suitable gaskets are employed for making tight joints where these are necessary. The cored head 34 has a bot tom wall 39 pierced with a number of apertures 40 for the passage of water and with a central aperture 41, through which freely slides a pin 42 of a valve 43. This valve 43 seats on the top of the member 38, which member is provided within the chamber 11 with two oppositely disposed forked legs 44. IVithin the member 38 smoothly slides a tubular or hollow valve stem 45, which for convenience of assembling is preferably loose from the valve 43, which it operates, the fit of parts 38 and 45 being substantially watertight. The upper end of the wall of the stem 45 is shown as formed with opposite T-shaped notches 46, in which loosely engage depending lugs 47 on the valve 43. Into the lower end of the hollow stem 45, the bottom of which is closed, are screwed two oppositely disposed small closed end tubes 48, each of which has a small aperture 49 in its upper side. Projecting from opposite sides of the member 38 are two bent wires 50, on the vertical end of each of which is supported a water wheel 51 in such a position that its angular blades are above one 'of the apertures 49. Pivoted in the legs 44 are two levers 52, the inner ends of shape or posit-ion, as shown in Fig.

which bear against and operate the valve stem 45, while their outer ends are connected by links 53 to a cross-bar 54, from which is suspended a float-ball 55. On the stem 56 of the ball are secured a plurality of perforated disks or plates 57, 58, 59, 60, spaced apart by washers 61. These plates are preferably pierced with holes differingin size,

Passing through the bottom of the chamber 11 is a pipe 62, connected with a hand valve 63 within the base 12, which is adapted for connection with an outlet pipe, not shown, for the carbonated water. It will be understood that the stem of the valve 63 passes out of a lateral aperture in the base 12, opposite to and like the aperture 15, but not shown in the drawing.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The carbonator is placed in position, the

valve 24 is connected with a container of carbon dioxid, the elbow 28 with a supply the gas pressure being shown on the gage 21. The valve 30 is then opened to permit water to pass into the chamber, its pressure showing on the valve 35. So long as the chamber is empty, or has less than the normal predetermined quantity of water therein, the weight of the float 55 and the plates 57 to'60 will hold the levers 52 in theirdown position, shown in full lines, Fig. 6, whereby the stem 45 will be raised, thus lifting the valve 43 from its seat on top of the member 38. Tater then flows into the head 34, through the'apertures 40, around the valve 43, into the hollow stem 45, and upwardly with considerable force through the apertures 49 in the tubes 48. The water strikes against the blades of the wheels 51 and, by theirrotation, is dashed into a fine spray, which falls upon the upper plate 57, and trickles in small drops successively through this and the other plates, 58, 59, 60. The water thus broken up readily absorbs the gas, its degree of saturation depending on the gas pressure in the chamber 11. When the water has risen to the desired height in the chamber the ball 55 is raised so that the levers 52 assume the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 6, thus permitting the stem 45 and valve 43 to drop, the valve-seating on the top of the member 38, and shutting off the further inflow of water. The valve 63 being opened, the carbonated Water may be drawn as desired at the fountain or for filling bottles, etc.

It will be noted that the valve parts, the float and its connections, and the perforated plates are all supported from the top 13 of the chamber; that this top is detachably secured to the body 11; and that the parts 31, 33 of the water pipe are detachably connected at 32, so that by disconnecting the pipe and removing the bolt-s 17, all the water controlling parts may be removed with the top from the body of the chamber. This is of great importance, as it permits the cleaning of the interior of the chamber and of all the parts therein from grease, slime or other foreign matter; and the ready repair of any part which may stick or work loose or otherwise get out of order.

In the form of my device shown in Fig. 4:, the various parts may all be as above described, except that shafts 64 are secured to the wheels 51 for rotation therewith,which shafts pass freely down through alined openings in the plates 57 to 60 nearly to the bottom of the chamber 11 and carry wheels 65 fast on the shafts at their lower ends. These wheels serve to agitate the water, in which they are continuously immersed. The operation of the device will obviously be unchanged, except that the speed of rotation of the wheels 51 will be reduced.

It is obvious that my invention may be embodied in forms considerably difierent from those shown, that parts of the device may be advantageously used without others, and that mechanical alterations may be made in the form and arrangement of its parts. I do not therefore desire to be limited except by the appended claims.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a carbonator, a closed chamber;

.means for admitting gas at the lower part of said chamber; means for admitting water under pressure at the upper part of said chamber including a valve, a valve seat, and a movable tubular valve stem having a closed lower end and a restricted aperture for discharging a jet of water within said chamber; and a float in said chamber for moving said valve stem to unseat said valve.

2. In a carbonator, a closed chamber; means for admitting gas at the lower part of said chamber; means for admit-ting water under pressure to said chamber including a head secured to the top of said chamber, a pipe leading into said head, a valve and a valve seat in said head, a movable tubular valve stem extending downwardly into said chamber and having a closed lower end and a restricted aperture fordischarging a jet of water within said chamber; and a float in said chamber for moving said valve stem to unseat said valve. i

3. In a carbonator, a closed chamber;

means for admitting gas at the lower part Wardly opening, restricted orifice for disof said chamber; means for admitting charging a jet of Water upwardly into said Water under pressure at the upper part of chamber.

said chamber including a valve, a Valve seat FRANK M. THOMAS.

and a vertically movable tubular valve stem Witnesses:

closed at its lower end and having a tubular GEO. L. COOPER,

lateral extension provided With an up- BESSIE M. TOLI-IURS'I.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

